diff --git a/sdk/rust/core/src/core.rs b/sdk/rust/core/src/core.rs
index bc22c62ee..1bfee2448 100644
--- a/sdk/rust/core/src/core.rs
+++ b/sdk/rust/core/src/core.rs
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ mod governance_packet_impl {
     use std::fmt;
 
     use serde::{
-        de::{Error, MapAccess, SeqAccess, Unexpected, Visitor},
+        de::{Error, MapAccess, SeqAccess, Visitor},
         ser::SerializeStruct,
         Deserialize, Deserializer, Serialize, Serializer,
     };
@@ -79,8 +79,9 @@ mod governance_packet_impl {
             if arr == MODULE {
                 Ok(Module)
             } else {
-                let expected = format!("{MODULE:?}");
-                Err(Error::invalid_value(Unexpected::Bytes(&arr), &&*expected))
+                Err(Error::custom(
+                    "invalid governance module, expected \"Core\"",
+                ))
             }
         }
     }
@@ -215,10 +216,9 @@ mod governance_packet_impl {
                     Action::TransferFee { amount, recipient }
                 }
                 v => {
-                    return Err(Error::invalid_value(
-                        Unexpected::Unsigned(v.into()),
-                        &"one of 1, 2, 3, 4",
-                    ))
+                    return Err(Error::custom(format_args!(
+                        "invaliid value {v}, expected one of 1, 2, 3, 4"
+                    )))
                 }
             };
 
diff --git a/sdk/rust/core/src/nft.rs b/sdk/rust/core/src/nft.rs
index 16fa585d9..d5ce1e35b 100644
--- a/sdk/rust/core/src/nft.rs
+++ b/sdk/rust/core/src/nft.rs
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ mod governance_packet_impl {
     use std::fmt;
 
     use serde::{
-        de::{Error, MapAccess, SeqAccess, Unexpected, Visitor},
+        de::{Error, MapAccess, SeqAccess, Visitor},
         ser::SerializeStruct,
         Deserialize, Deserializer, Serialize, Serializer,
     };
@@ -122,8 +122,9 @@ mod governance_packet_impl {
             if arr == MODULE {
                 Ok(Module)
             } else {
-                let expected = format!("{MODULE:?}");
-                Err(Error::invalid_value(Unexpected::Bytes(&arr), &&*expected))
+                Err(Error::custom(
+                    "invalid governance module, expected \"NFTBridge\"",
+                ))
             }
         }
     }
@@ -223,10 +224,9 @@ mod governance_packet_impl {
                     Action::ContractUpgrade { new_contract }
                 }
                 v => {
-                    return Err(Error::invalid_value(
-                        Unexpected::Unsigned(v.into()),
-                        &"one of 1, 2",
-                    ))
+                    return Err(Error::custom(format_args!(
+                        "invalid value {v}, expected one of 1, 2"
+                    )))
                 }
             };
 
diff --git a/sdk/rust/core/src/token.rs b/sdk/rust/core/src/token.rs
index a6e9eb0ba..dc27cb126 100644
--- a/sdk/rust/core/src/token.rs
+++ b/sdk/rust/core/src/token.rs
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ mod governance_packet_impl {
     use std::fmt;
 
     use serde::{
-        de::{Error, MapAccess, SeqAccess, Unexpected, Visitor},
+        de::{Error, MapAccess, SeqAccess, Visitor},
         ser::SerializeStruct,
         Deserialize, Deserializer, Serialize, Serializer,
     };
@@ -247,8 +247,9 @@ mod governance_packet_impl {
             if arr == MODULE {
                 Ok(Module)
             } else {
-                let expected = format!("{MODULE:?}");
-                Err(Error::invalid_value(Unexpected::Bytes(&arr), &&*expected))
+                Err(Error::custom(
+                    "invalid governance module, expected \"TokenBridge\"",
+                ))
             }
         }
     }
@@ -348,10 +349,9 @@ mod governance_packet_impl {
                     Action::ContractUpgrade { new_contract }
                 }
                 v => {
-                    return Err(Error::invalid_value(
-                        Unexpected::Unsigned(v.into()),
-                        &"one of 1, 2",
-                    ))
+                    return Err(Error::custom(format_args!(
+                        "invalid value: {v}, expected one of 1, 2"
+                    )))
                 }
             };
 
diff --git a/sdk/rust/serde_wormhole/src/de.rs b/sdk/rust/serde_wormhole/src/de.rs
index 6410713ce..2351e3999 100644
--- a/sdk/rust/serde_wormhole/src/de.rs
+++ b/sdk/rust/serde_wormhole/src/de.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use std::{convert::TryFrom, mem::size_of};
 
 use serde::de::{
     self, DeserializeSeed, EnumAccess, Error as DeError, IntoDeserializer, MapAccess, SeqAccess,
-    Unexpected, VariantAccess, Visitor,
+    VariantAccess, Visitor,
 };
 
 use crate::error::Error;
@@ -68,10 +68,9 @@ impl<'de, 'a> de::Deserializer<'de> for &'a mut Deserializer<'de> {
         match v {
             0 => visitor.visit_bool(false),
             1 => visitor.visit_bool(true),
-            v => Err(Error::invalid_value(
-                Unexpected::Unsigned(v.into()),
-                &"a 0 or 1",
-            )),
+            v => Err(Error::custom(format_args!(
+                "invalid value: {v}, expected a 0 or 1"
+            ))),
         }
     }
 
@@ -165,7 +164,7 @@ impl<'de, 'a> de::Deserializer<'de> for &'a mut Deserializer<'de> {
     {
         let v = deserialize_be_number!(self, u32);
         char::try_from(v)
-            .map_err(|_| Error::invalid_value(Unexpected::Unsigned(v.into()), &"a `char`"))
+            .map_err(|e| Error::custom(format_args!("invalid value {v}: {e}")))
             .and_then(|v| visitor.visit_char(v))
     }
 
@@ -183,7 +182,7 @@ impl<'de, 'a> de::Deserializer<'de> for &'a mut Deserializer<'de> {
         self.input = rem;
 
         std::str::from_utf8(data)
-            .map_err(|_| Error::invalid_value(Unexpected::Bytes(data), &"a UTF-8 string"))
+            .map_err(Error::custom)
             .and_then(|s| visitor.visit_borrowed_str(s))
     }